ZECO TRAVEL TALK

We had a wonderful trip to the Galápagos… I am still dreaming of the many places we saw. Spending time with Jack (Grove) and Pauli in this rarified environment was such a treat, and being with Greg Estes, our veteran naturalist guide, in his own territory really added to the experience. The most amazing aspect of being on these islands is that there is a total absence of fear. There are no weapons and no predators. We went ashore one morning on the pristine island of Genovesa, and basically just slowly moved around at the mouth of a tidal basin that ended in mangroves, where we observed the birds—mostly red-foot boobies, their fledglings, some Galápagos doves, and a lava heron or two. It was probably one of the most peaceful moments of the trip. I was reminded of that when we got back to the mainland and I spotted a bird I wanted to observe more closely. As I moved closer, of course it flew away. I had forgotten I was no longer in paradise, where you can walk between and around nesting albatross and lovemaking frigatebirds and nobody seems to notice you are big and somewhat out of place. M. & H. Smit

With the recent return of our first Galápagos trip of the year, we thought we’d post an advance notice of a momentous occasion: February 12, 2009 will mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and has been designated “Darwin Day – An International Celebration of Science and Humanity.” Events will include symposia, seminars, stage productions, and exhibits held at universities, museums, and theaters around the world. UNESCO will also be associated with the celebrations that honor the man credited with the first measured study of biological evolution through the process of natural selection. The anniversary also marks 150 years since the publication of Origin of the Species and 50 years since the establishment of the Galápagos National Park. The Charles Darwin Foundation commemorates its 50th anniversary in 2009 with the launch of a new Darwin Galápagos Education Center. Zegrahm’s Galápagos voyages visit the Foundation on Santa Cruz Island. For more information, and for regular event updates, visit the website: www.darwinday.org.

The year was 1981 and my parents had just bought me a pair of binoculars for my thirteenth birthday, a significant improvement on the minimal magnification, mother-of-pearl-coated opera glasses that had piqued my early interest in all things feathered. The birding bug had bitten hard, my youthful interest had exploded into an obsession, and my personal “life list” of just over 200 local bird species had become a source of great pride to me. One afternoon, while browsing through the natural history section of my municipal library, I happened upon a book written by a birding businessman estimating that a dedicated birder, in a lifetime of travel, could reasonably hope to see a maximum of 5,000 bird species (approximately half of all birds on Earth). Times changed, jet travel improved, new field guides and bird-finding site guides were written and, in the early 1990’s, this 5,000 limit was handily passed by a new generation of world birders.

Having never dreamed that such lofty goals were possible, I found myself passing this magical milestone in 2002, a combination of two decades spent birding in my home continent of Africa and two years working and traveling in the “Bird Continent” of South America. My work with Eco-Expeditions, apart from providing rich birding opportunities on the expeditions themselves, facilitated personal exploration of bird-rich areas in Asia and Australasia, and my global bird tally crept over 6,000 in 2004, approaching the magical figure of 7,000 in mid-2007.

Still a full 50 species short, I pondered where to start hunting. Zegrahm’s “March with the Penguins” expedition made up my mind for me: it would be South America, home to over a third of all bird species on Earth. Read more

Costa Rica: We had a great day in the Tortuguero Canals of Costa Rica! We saw dozens of sloths, lots of green iguanas, a few basilisks (Jesus Christ lizards) and, of course, more and more birds! The holy grail of the day—and Peter Harrison says maybe even for the trip—was the great potoo, usually a noctural predator!

Panama: Rain caused us to change our plans somewhat and we did a Zodiac cruise in Escudo de Veraguas which was a big hit. Though a bit wet, people loved it! The birders had a clean sweep finding all the endemic species, and the zodiac cruise found the real prize of the day—the endemic pygmy sloth. Everyone returned with a smile. We decided to heave anchor and head straight for Bocas del Toro. Read more

Le Levant is in line with 106 other ships to transit the Panama Canal today! Our passage ID is N21X, which means that we are the 21st ship to transit going north on this day, 24 March 2008, and we will be accompanied by an extra ship. Our companion through the Canal is a barge with a bright green tug boat.

We came into Balboa Harbor last night. Imagine the change in scenery from the top deck after days exploring virtually alone on the water, the horizon occasionally altered by small uninhabited islands. Last night we were surrounded by the lights of fishing boats, cargo ships, and the skyline of Panama City. In the morning light we can see many of our fellow daylight transit ships—a far cry from the dug outs we were in two days ago.

Anchor’s aweigh as we steam into position for our transit, standing on deck, you can’t help but marvel at this engineering feat.

View the video footage of our transit through the Panama Canal onboard Le Levant.

Just reporting in off the coast of Chile to tell you a bit about Le Diamant, since it’s our first time using the ship. Everyone—passengers, leader/lecturer team—have been loving the experience. While it’s luxurious and roomy, this ship lends itself perfectly to expedition cruising, and our West Coast of South America trip has been incredibly comfortable. Yesterday we sighted sperm whales and the captain was able to quickly slow us down to follow their direction. We were allowed to be on the bow of the ship to watch, which made us all feel like adventurers! My personal favorite spot on the ship is the fabulous observation lounge just above the bow. You can relax up there, surrounded by glass walls and ceilings, and watch everything going on in the open seas.

Le Diamant has a lovely lecture hall, the Grand Salon, and it’s perfect for our purposes—everyone can now hear the lectures and see the visuals/power point presentations, etc. by our onboard team, no matter where they sit. The other comment I have to share is about the ship staff: really professional and efficient. Two days into the trip, they threw together a last minute barbecue lunch on deck — just so we could enjoy the great weather! Tomorrow we head inland into the Andes and to Lauca National Park.

Our 2008 Rain Forests and Reefs expedition to Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama recently returned and we are excited to share with you some video footage of our transit through the Panama Canal onboard Le Levant. As you can see from the entry below, it was a truly memorable day. For more information on this trip’s daily adventures, see the Report From The Field.

Saturday, January 26
Our Panama Canal Transit

Sort the travel destinations of the world by any criteria you wish, but a transit of the Panama Canal will always remain on the list of things a world traveler must do in his or her lifetime. The canal represents an epic feat of engineering that changed the course of human events. When it opened in 1914, it was called the Eighth Wonder of the World. The narrow isthmus, so alluring, so suggestive of an easy connection between oceans, has drawn adventurers, dreamers, and builders for centuries. They came in droves and most squandered their lives and their countries’ resources in vain attempts to bridge that short gap. Along with everything else it represents, today’s great “Path Between the Seas” is a monument to their sacrifices.

The schedule we secured was ideal for a coveted daylight transit. We had picked up our pilot and our special canal interpreter, Patricia Holmes, the night before. Before 0600 Le Levant had weighed anchor and moved into the queue for Gatun Locks.

The massive iron doors, weighing 800 tons each, closed behind us, and there was no turning back. Small electric trains, called mules, helped stabilize the ship as we rose to the level of Gatun Lake, 87 feet above the sea. We crossed the Continental Divide through the narrow Gaillard Cut, which had proved the most fearsome portion of the Canal to build. We cruised under the soaring Bridge of the Americas and into Miraflores Locks. They lowered us gently to the level of Pacific tidewater, into which we sailed at 1630. We dropped anchor in the Bahia de Panama in company with many other, mostly much bigger, ships. The towers of Panama City gleamed surrealistically in the distance.

In the evening we all enjoyed a cocktail party hosted by Zegrahm and Stanford where we raised a toast to our great accomplishment: a passage through a continent from one ocean to another.

Yesterday we woke up to sunshine and blue skies off Belize’s Half Moon Caye, but because of windy conditions and waves that would make snorkeling and diving difficult, we decided to reposition Le Levant to the other side of the island. It was well worth it as it was calm and those who wanted to go ashore could. Half Moon Caye is beautiful with white sand beaches and green palm trees…your typical paradise island! Everyone got to see dozens of frigates and red-footed boobies—this island is a National Monument and the only place in the region where they nest.

The snorkelers’ report of the day was also wonderful… They saw schools of parrotfish and barracuda, a giant sea cucumber, and a wide variety of colorful fish. A diving contingent went off to follow in Jacques Cousteau’s flippers at the famous Blue Hole… It was a great day, and so nice to be out in the sunshine. We had a leisurely evening back on board and then Captain’s Welcome Cocktails and Dinner. The food was excellent as was the service and everyone was impressed with the pastry chef – uh oh, we’re all in trouble! Honduras here we come!